


Moondrop

by StarfireXL



Series: Pinky and the Popsicle (Gratsu Fic Collection) [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Double Date fic, ErzaJane, F/F, M/M, a little angsty (cough a lot cough), a little fluffy (who am I kidding REALLY fluffy), and a whole lotta love :), gahhhhhh I love em, gratsu/natray - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarfireXL/pseuds/StarfireXL
Summary: Gratsu and Erzajane double date <3333





	Moondrop

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is my first time ever writing erzajane, so I really hope I did this wonderful ship justice! I just love Mira and Erza so much they deserve infinite happiness! And I hope this fic gives all of you happiness as well <3333 As always enjoy! And if you can, I would appreciate it SO MUCH if you could comment and tell me how I did. I wanna continue to write erzajane so I'm looking for every opportunity to improve!

Erza’s brown eyes were hard and full of fury, hands gripping her sword tightly as she glared at the dragonslayer. “Natsu, _I swear to Mavis_ , I’m going to smack you _so_ hard, you’ll see stars.”

Natsu’s eyes flashed, face pulled into an irritated scowl. “I don’t care, we’re _not_ going!”

“You have no say in this!” Erza scoffed, stepping closer to stab a finger into Natsu’s chest, “We’re _going_ to the Magnolia Botanical Gardens, even if I have to _drag you there myself!”_ The requip mage bit back a growl as Natsu rolled his eyes. It was _her_ turn to choose where Gray, Natsu, Mira and herself went on their monthly double-date. Why couldn’t he just comply for once?

So fast Erza didn’t even have time to blink, the scowl slid off of Natsu’s face, replaced with a petulant pout. “But Errrrrrzaaaaaaaa!” The redhead shifted awkwardly at Natsu’s pitiful expression, eyes softening a fraction of a degree. With that slight tilt to his head and the soft puffs of pink hair that stuck around his face, even she couldn’t possibly resist-- “Flowers are so _borrrrriiiinnggg_ …”

_**What** did he just say?_

Erza’s eyes ignited with flames. “ _Boring_ , huh?” She could feel the guild tensing around her, discreetly looking for a place to take cover.

“Yeah I mean,” She narrowed her eyes, silently advising Natsu to choose his next words carefully. “Can’t we just go to the arcade, like last time?”

“Oh I _would_ , but if I recall correctly,” Erza hissed, voice low and menacing, “ _Someone_ got us kicked out.”

Natsu snorted, “You’re just salty ‘cause I beat you in Whack-A-Mole.”

_“Natsu, you blew up the game machine!”_

“But I won didn’t I? Besides, those moles were asking for it, they wouldn’t sit still and let me whack ‘em.”

“That’s ‘cause it’s the _point of the game,_ ash-for-brains,” Erza spared Gray a glance as he smoothly stepped in, hands on his hips and an exasperated frown etched into his face.

Natsu whirled on him, eyes sparking with fury and betrayal. “You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re afraid of Erza!”

“Well, unlike you, _I don’t want to die today!”_ Gray shot back, frantically gesturing at the redhead.

Erza smirked. _Smart boy..._

But Natsu didn’t back down, a wide, cocky grin splitting his face in half. “Yeah, yeah keep telling yourself that, Snow--” Gray punched him. **_Hard_**.

Erza snarled as the two boys dissolved into another one of their reckless brawls. As she stepped forward to break it up, Natsu lunged at Gray with a fierce growl, hands reaching for the ice mage’s waist. Gray swiftly dodged, side-stepping out of Natsu’s reach. Erza hesitated, a hand still clenched around the hilt of her sword. She watched, mesmerized, as the two fell into a familiar rhythm. Almost like a choreographed dance. Narrowly dodging fists and ducking under swings. Every blow was predicted, every pivot memorized. So much so that they seemed to just be twirling and spinning around each other. In a strange way, it was almost... _breathtaking._

Erza was so busy staring at Gray and Natsu that she didn’t notice the sound of footsteps behind her. The redhead gasped as smooth, pale arms circled around her waist. She stiffened for just a moment, before relaxing into her girlfriend’s arms. Mira hummed contentedly into her ear, sapphire eyes sparkling with mirth as she watched the two boys over Erza’s shoulder.

No matter how enraptured Erza had been with Natsu and Gray’s little performance, Mira always captured her attention instantly. The requip mage quickly forgot about them, sinking into Mira’s embrace. Her girlfriend’s arms were soft, yet strong as steel beneath smooth, creamy skin. Erza closed her eyes and leaned her head back to rest on the other girl’s shoulder, her red hair blending with Mira’s white locks like rose petals on snow. Erza took a deep breath, Mira’s sweet scent enveloping her. She had always loved the way Mira smelled. Like freshly baked brownies and quiet nights spent cuddling in front of a fire. Warm, sleepy and content.

“Erza, now might be the time to break it up,” Mira mumbled softly, voice laced with laughter. Erza groaned, cracking an eye open to see Natsu triumphantly pinning Gray to the ground. A soft pink blush graced the ice mage’s face, like the colors of a sunset bleeding out into a pale blue sky.

Just as Natsu swooped down for a victory kiss, Erza yanked him back by the scarf, crushing his face against her chest plate as she ruffled his pink hair.

“Not so fast, lover boy,” Erza teased, “Think I’d let you claim your prize so easily after whining so much?”

Natsu let out a muffled groan, flailing his arms wildly before going limp in her grip.

Erza smirked in satisfaction, “That’s what I thought.”

The requip mage strolled out of the guild, Natsu’s protests still stifled against her chest as he stumbled to keep up with her swift pace. Erza could hear Gray muttering behind them, her ears straining to catch his words so she would know if she had to beat him up later. But Gray’s curses were overshadowed by a light, sparkling laugh that seemed to make the entire world brighter. Colors became more vivid, the air tasted sweeter, even the flowers seemed to tilt in the direction of that voice, seeking it as much as they sought the rays of the sun. Erza didn’t need to look back to know whose laugh it was.

Only Mira could make a sound as beautiful as that.

 

✦ ✦ ✦

It surprised Gray sometimes. How fast Natsu’s mood would shift. Like a fire nearly withered to embers one minute, before springing back to life in a roaring golden blaze the next.

Gray watched with fond amusement as Natsu’s face lit up when they entered the gardens. He had been moping the entire walk there, dragging his feet and pouting with every step he took, but the second he set foot inside the gates his bad mood dissipated like a flame in the wind. His emerald green gaze ate up every shred of greenery with the intensity of fire, flickering from a clump of honey gold daffodils to the wide reaching arms of an ancient oak to the plump pink petals of the lotuses.

Gray didn’t know what was more beautiful. The scenery or the gleeful sparkle in Natsu’s eyes.

But, if he was being honest, he _did_ know. The answer was clear as day every time Natsu turned that brilliant smile on him, every time he made Gray’s breath hitch with a brush of his hands or a fond look tossed over his shoulder. Natsu coaxed emotions out of him that Gray had almost believed he wasn’t capable of. Had made those feelings into words that bubbled up inside him, just waiting to be released. But every time, fear and insecurity held Gray back. Every time, he remembered what happened to those people who dared to get close to him.

“He’s such a hypocrite,” Erza’s comment jolted Gray out of his thoughts. He looked up, shaking his head fondly as Natsu scampered over to look at a towering redwood.

“You’re telling me,” Gray rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, “I’m his _boyfriend_. He threatens to beat my face in more times then he says ‘I tolerate your existence.’”

Erza snorted, “I’m pretty sure the words are ‘I love you.’”

Gray winced slightly. She said them so _easily_. The words that could finally solidify the shaky relationship he had built with Natsu. The words he tried so hard to say, but every time he summoned them, they’d shrivel and die right as they teetered on the edge of his lips. He just couldn’t say them. Couldn’t tie Natsu down to a piece of broken merchandise. They were in some sort of a relationship, yes, but as soon as he said those words, it would be _real_. It would be _defined_. Another thing Gray would inevitably lose.

 _I love you._ He could hear it so clearly in his head. Three simple words, three little syllables, yet together they made a sentence so complicated it hurt Gray’s head to try to unravel it. So he did what he always did. Brush it off. And if he could insult Natsu? Bonus points.

“Yeah well, Natsu isn’t the kind of guy to say things like that,” Gray swept his arm grandly at the dragonslayer, who was busy bouncing around and pulling Mira along behind him, “D’you really think you can get _him_ to be romantic?”

“I have my ways,” Erza shot him a sinister smirk which earned a swift nod and a wobbly, slightly terrified, smile from Gray.

“OW!” Gray and Erza whipped around to see Natsu recoiling from a plant, hands lit with flames as he glared at it, “THIS DAMN FLOWER **_BIT_** ME!”

Mira patted his head serenely, “It’s a venus fly-trap, Natsu, it’ll bite you if you stick your finger in it.”

“HEY FLY-TRAP BE A MAN AND FIGHT ME!” Natsu squirmed and cursed and called the little plant every bad name under the sun as Mira dragged him away, dodging his flaming fists and breath attacks. “GRAY COME AND KISS IT BETTER!”

“How am I attracted to _that?”_ Gray massaged his temple, shooting Erza a glare when she let out a chuckle.

“Unfortunately I can’t answer that for you.”

Gray sighed, “Still, I...it’s good to see him like this.” Gray’s stormy blue eyes softened, voice lowering until it was almost a whisper.

Erza knew what he meant. But she still asked him. “What do you mean?”

“He’s...he’s _himself_. He’s happy. Not like...not like when--” Gray’s voice faltered, fading away as Natsu’s booming laugh reached his ears. As always, his heart swelled with affection at the sound, but a place deep inside him twisted in pain at how easily that laugh had almost been silenced.

“I know,” Erza’s arm brushed his. A quiet comfort. The touch of a person who understood what he was going through, who had also tasted that bittersweet tang every day, who had cupped their hands around a ray of sunshine in a desperate attempt to keep it from being snuffed out. Erza knew what it was like to worry, day in and day out, wondering if the person she loved would be consumed by the darkness. Just like he did.

“Sometimes...sometimes I worry I’m going to lose him one of these days,” the words came out before Gray could measure their weight, unfiltered and heavy, settling on his shoulders like iron chains. “I’m afraid the darkness will come back, and the demon will take him over and he’ll be gone...”

_...and I’ll be alone again._

He didn’t have to say those last few words aloud for Erza to hear him. She knew him too well.

“He’s not going anywhere Gray,” she soothed, nudging the ice mage and pointing at Natsu. The fire mage was teetering on the edge of a pond, face scrunched in concentration as he reached out for a water lily that was just out of his grasp. Mira hovered by his side, a mischievous gleam in her eye like she was debating whether or not to push him in. “See, he’s right there. Like he’s always going to be. And he’ll stay, as long as you’re there to keep him whole.”

Gray’s hand inched up the sleeve of his jacket, brushing across the solid black swirls of his devil slayer tattoo. “How can I?” his throat clenched, subconsciously trying to kill the words before they came out, “...I’m just as much of a demon as he is. I-I’m _broken_. I can barely keep _myself_ together, how am I supposed to…”

_How am I supposed to love him when I can’t love myself?_

“I don’t have an answer to that,” Gray glanced over at Erza, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were trained on Mira who was subtly inching closer to Natsu, arms stretched out to shove him into the pond. Gray’s heart squeezed at the look in Erza’s eyes. So much love, a whole universe of fondness, all trained on a single person. All trained on Mira. It was so sincere and powerful, Gray wondered how Mira didn’t burst into flames on the spot. In the back of Gray’s mind, he registered Natsu indignant yelp as he fell face first into the pond, shattering the perfectly tranquil stillness of the waters. But in that moment, all he was focused on was how Mira glanced over her shoulder, meeting Erza’s gaze as a tender smile graced her fair face.

Gray wrenched his eyes away, feeling like he was intruding on something sacred. But that silent exchange fluttered in his mind, an elusive butterfly he was desperately trying to catch.

He wanted something like that. With Natsu. Wanted to be able to love so openly and tenderly with him just like Erza and Mira did. But was it even possible for someone like him?

Erza’s firm grip on his shoulder jolted him back to reality. When he looked up at her, he felt his face heat up at the love in her eyes. Her love for Mira, but also her love for him. She placed a soft, sisterly kiss against his cheek.

“We’re all broken, Gray. In our own ways. Every single one of us. But, it’s ok, because we’re all broken _together_.”

✦ ✦ ✦

“I would say I hate you, but I probably would have done the same thing.”

Mira giggled at him as Natsu pouted, sitting waist deep in the pond water with a lily pad slowly sliding off of his head. She offered him a helping hand, but he batted it away with an irritated grunt, rising to his feet and shaking himself violently.

Mira squealed, swiping the droplets of water off of her face, but the satisfaction she had felt from shoving Natsu under had been _so_ worth it.

Natsu stepped out of the pond, clutching a soaked through bundle of pale water lilies. He stared down at them pitifully, before scowling at the white-haired girl. “Thanks a lot Mira! These were for Gray!”

“Well why don’t you just dry them?” she teased good-naturedly, raising an eyebrow when an excited gleam flashed through Natsu’s green gaze.

“Hey, you’re right! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Wait, Natsu, I didn’t--”

Too late. Natsu lit his entire body on fire, crimson flames leaping and twirling around him, effectively drying himself and his clothes. Before she could stop him, he bounded over to Gray, an extra bounce to his step. Mira bit her lip and followed close behind.

“These are for you, Gray!” A wide, satisfied smirk adorned Natsu’s face as he shoved a pile of ashes into Gray’s hands. “...wait where’d the flowers go?”

Mira played with her hair guiltily, watching as the glow of happiness on Natsu’s face started to fade away.

“Flowers? Really? Didn’t think you had a romantic bone in your body, Flamebrain,” Gray drawled, “Besides, didn’t you say flowers are _borrrriiinnnnngggg?”_

A wave of relief washed over Mira as Natsu’s face twisted into a familiar expression of annoyance.

_Thank God for Gray and his crabby attitude._

She locked gazes with Erza, laughing at the exasperated look in her girlfriend’s eyes. Those two would never change. Skirting around the two boys bickering and playfully elbowing each other in the ribs, Mira laced her fingers with Erza’s. Feeling her girlfriend’s skin under her finger tips, so soft, yet rough with callouses and cuts and long healed bruises, Mira suddenly felt the overwhelming need to _be_ with her. Alone. In a quiet place where it was just them and Mira would have all the time in the world to whisper every sweet nothing she could come up with into Erza’s ear.

“Hey, Natsu, Gray, we’re going to go get a bite to eat, why don’t you two keep exploring?” Mira called out, tugging on Erza’s hand, pulling the redhead toward a cafe that was just a little farther along the path.

“HELL YEAH, I’M STARVING!” Natsu roared, rubbing his stomach eagerly as a toothy grin spread over his face

“Well, Natsu, maybe you should wait before eating? Work up more of an appetite,” Mira fumbled for words, racking her brain for a reasonable excuse, but she kept drawing blanks. Squeezing Erza’s hand, she shot Gray a swift, pleading look, blue eyes rounded with desperation.

“Nah, I’m way too hungry to--”

“Yeah, sure thing, Mira!” Gray looped his arm through Natsu’s dragging him away from the girls and deeper into the gardens.

“Wait, Gray, I’m hun--”

“Shut _up_ , Pyro, can’t you see they want to be alone?” Gray whisper-shouted. The transformation mage gave him an awkward, but grateful, smile.

Erza and Mira sighed in unison as their friends wandered off, shouts and curses still audible for a while until they eventually faded into the distance.

“We’re going to get a call soon saying that half the garden has been burned and the other half frozen, you know that right?” Erza asked absentmindedly, staring at the spot where Gray and Natsu had disappeared into the undergrowth.

“Yep! So we better make the most of the time we have!” Mira replied enthusiastically, before latching on to Erza’s arm and leading her toward the cafe.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mira watched as Erza’s face reddened with every step they took. Layer upon layer of pink, until eventually, her face burned a gorgeous scarlet as deep and bright as the color of her hair. These were Mira’s favorite moments. Times when they were all alone and Erza’s walls would crumble down so beautifully. All the poise and stiff politeness and seriousness ebbed away until the only thing left was _Erza_. The _real_ Erza.

And the real Erza could blush like nobody’s business.

Mira gently lifted their intertwined fingers, placing a soft kiss against Erza’s knuckles and enjoying the way the redhead inhaled sharply, face going even redder if possible. Mira winked slyly, well-aware of how Erza would react. How Erza _always_ reacted.

And just as planned, the requip mage promptly stumbled, tripping over her own two feet before Mira smoothly caught her, gratefully taking any excuse to wrap her arms around Erza’s slender waist.

 _“Mira,”_ Erza hissed, burying her face in Mira’s shoulder in a frantic attempt to hide her blush.

“Yes, love,” Mira murmured softly, breath puffing against Erza’s ear.

“I…” Erza trailed off, struggling to find words as Mira nuzzled her face into that waterfall of rose-colored locks. “I-uh…”

“Mmhmm?” Mira placed a chaste kiss on Erza’s forehead.

“I forgot what I was going to say…”

✦ ✦ ✦

“Ooooooh, what’s this one?” Natsu looked at Gray, green eyes wide and expectant and he nodded at another flower. A warm flutter of amusement flickered in Gray’s chest. He would have never suspected how interested and enthusiastic Natsu could be about _flowers_ of all things. The ice mage took note so he could mercilessly tease Natsu about it later, but for now, he would do anything to preserve that spark of joy in Natsu’s gaze.

Until he saw what the fire mage was pointing at.

Gray facepalmed, “Natsu, for the last time that’s a _tulip_.”

The pink haired boy frowned, “That’s what you said for the last _thirty_ we walked past!”

“That’s because they’re _all_ tulips!”

Natsu pouted, stomping his foot angrily, “But that doesn’t even make any sense, they’re all different colors! Who had the brilliant idea of giving thirty different flowers the same name!”

Gray opened his mouth, before sighing. He wasn’t even going to try.

“Just keep walking, Pyro.”

Natsu scoffed, stalking past Gray and glaring at all the tulips they passed like he had a personal vendetta against them. Gray shook his head, trailing behind, content with watching Natsu darting around, sniffing and poking everything they encountered. Gray would never get tired of this. Just the feeling of _being_ with Natsu, of relishing in his fiery spirit and never-ending energy, of melting into that solid, warm embrace and knowing that, for once in his life, he was **safe**.

The rustle of leaves snapped Gray out of his musings. For a moment, Gray couldn’t see Natsu at all, eyes scouring the garden for a flash of pink hair.

_There._

Gray furrowed his brow, speeding up to catch up to Natsu as the dragonslayer shouldered his way through a mass of twisted, leafy vines.

Natsu froze, Gray bumping into him with an indignant grunt.

“Woah, would you look at that…” Natsu’s awestruck voice prompted Gray to follow his gaze.

The ice mage stiffened.

Behind the curtain of leaves, sheltered in a little alcove and nestled in a bright beam of moonlight, was a flower. A single, lonely blossom hidden away in the dark. Its delicate white petals soaked in the radiance of the moon until it seemed to sparkle with an almost ethereal silver glow. Natsu moved closer, eager to smell it, to figure out the name of the pretty plant, but Gray didn’t have to take even one step forward to know what it was. Its name was already on the tip of his tongue as a faint shadow of its scent flickered through his mind. Soft and minty, the smell of the last snowfall of winter, of rays of moonshine laced with stardust, of home and warmth and aching loneliness. Memories of his past emerged from the deepest recesses of his mind. Those flowers basking in moonlight from a vase on the windowsill of his old house. Impossibly sweet laughter swirling around him as warm fingers brushed a strand of hair away from his face. A gentle hand tilting his chin upward as that flower was placed carefully behind his ear...

_A moondrop…_

Gray winced as Natsu plucked the flower from its resting place, snapping the fragile green stem in half easily.

“Wow, this really is a pretty flower isn’t it?” Natsu held the flower up, fascinated with the way the soft silvery-blue light of the moon danced across the stark white petals. “But, you know...it would look prettier on you.” The dragonslayer nonchalantly tossed that last comment over his shoulder, winking at the ice mage as he smiled flirtatiously.

Despite the ache in his chest and the dark flow of memories threatening to consume him, Gray blushed, that familiar warmth that only Natsu could bring rushing to his cheeks as the raven haired boy ducked his head.

_Come here, darling, it’ll look so beautiful on you!_

Gray gasped as scorching fingers brushed across his ivory skin. He  glanced up, blue eyes widening when he realized that Natsu was standing right in front of him.

The fire mage stuck his tongue out slightly, tilting his head as he reached forward, flower in hand, “Lemme just put this here…”

_Stay still, Gray, please let mommy put this flower in your hair!_

“NO!” Gray jolted back, flinching away from Natsu’s touch as he turned and sprinted through the covering of leaves and out of the shaded glen. He clenched a hand over his heart, fingers digging into the fabric just over his guild mark. Her voice. He could hear it. After spending so much time racking through his brain for even the tiniest sliver of her memory, he finally found it.

_Mom…_

He remembered. He remembered how she would go outside every day to tend to the rare moondrop flowers that bloomed in front of their house. He would go with her, every time, to see the tiny patch of beauty that thrived in the cold as the rest of the world shriveled and died. He remembered how they flourished, until hundreds upon thousands of them sprouted in front of their house, remembered how his mother made flower crowns, just for him, tucking those fragile blooms behind his ear with a smile and a gentle kiss. They would spend long afternoons sitting among those sweet-smelling blossoms, and just...enjoying the feeling of being alive.

He remembered that when Deliora attacked, the moondrops were the first things to burn.

A playful growl sounded behind him, making a shiver roll down Gray’s spine.

“Come back here, Gray,” Natsu’s voice was light and mischievous, ignorant of the agony welling up inside of his boyfriend, “It’s just a little flower.”

It wasn’t just a flower. It was his entire childhood contained in a measly bundle of petals and pollen. His entire memory of his mother grasped in Natsu’s calloused hand.

Gray wanted to lash out at Natsu, wanted to yell and scream and sob, but it wasn’t the fire mage’s fault. He didn’t know. It was just a silly game to him, another one of their competitions.

For the first time in his life, Gray ran from Natsu’s challenge.

He sprinted through the garden as fast as his legs could carry him, zipping by so fast that the scenery around him melted into one big green smudge with the occasional blur of color from the flowers. He leaped over tree roots, skirted around bushes, icing patches of ground as he ran to slow Natsu down. They had played chasing games many times when they were little, so Gray knew how Natsu worked, how he thought, how he pounced. And above all, Gray knew how no matter what he did, no matter how fast he ran or how sly his tricks were, Natsu would get him. Every time. But they weren’t children anymore and Gray _had_ to get away. He couldn’t afford to get caught. Not this time.

Gray slowed as he rounded a large, mossy boulder, somehow finding his way back to the pond Natsu fell into. He leaned back against the rock to catch his breath, his shirt dampening with sweat, fingers curling into the dew soaked moss. A soft noise made him hold his breath, ears pricked for the slightest sound, but there was nothing. Gray relaxed.

Until the boulder exploded behind him in a brilliant burst of flame. Before Gray could even say “Oi, Flamebrain!” he was tackled to the ground, rolling over and over again until he was pinned right beside the crystal clear pond waters.

Natsu’s face loomed over him, shadowed as night descended around them, but his green eyes still burned as bright as the sun.

“Gotcha.”

✦ ✦ ✦

“Get off me, Flamebrain!” Gray’s scowl seemed downright menacing. To anyone except for Natsu that is. Instead of focusing on the darkness in his eyes, or the tension in his shoulders, Natsu focused on the cute wrinkle between his eyebrows and the fullness of his lips as they pursed in displeasure.

“Wait a sec, Snowflake, I’m just going to…” Natsu pulled the unusual white flower out of his vest pocket, mildly surprised that it had survived the chase.

He didn’t know why, but Natsu felt an overpowering urge to weave the flower’s stem into Gray’s ebony colored locks. Wanted to see the way the blinding silvery-white would contrast with Gray’s dark hair. The flower smelled so much like Gray, it was intoxicating. It had his crisp, wintery, almost minty scent, like it was meant to be with him.

Gray struggled underneath Natsu, but it was useless. The dragonslayer dropped his full weight on top of the ice mage, immobilizing him as he tucked the flower behind Gray’s ear. When he pulled back slightly, Gray shoved him away, scrambling out of his reach.

Surrounded by the night, the stars dancing in tune with the moon softly shining above their heads, the ice mage looked stunning. More than he had any right to be. Natsu didn’t know what it was. Whether it was the way the strengthening moonlight made his pale skin seem to glow, or the way his raven hair perfectly framed his face, or how complete he looked with that little flower in his hair. Like it had always been there.

Gray glared at him, reaching up to swat the blossom away, but as soon as he caught his reflection in the pond waters, he froze, staring blankly at his image.

Natsu furrowed his brow, concern finally catching up to him.

“Gray…?” Natsu scooted as close as he dared, not quite touching Gray. He had never seen the raven haired mage like this. Looking so fragile that he might shatter like one of his ice sculptures. “What’s the matter, Popsicle?”

Natsu expected Gray to snap back, to turn that furious, yet dazzling, glare on him. To punch him or kick him or _something_.

Instead, Gray deflated.

All the tension in his wiry frame evaporated like mist against the morning sun. His head bowed as his shoulders curled inward, the flower pressed close to his temple as if to offer comfort.

“I-it’s nothing…”

Natsu growled at him, a low rumble from deep within his chest, “Don’t lie to me, Gray, at least not when it’s so obvious.”

Gray squeezed his eyes shut, looking like he wanted nothing more than to melt into the shadows.

“It’s just...these were my mom’s favorite flowers,” Gray’s voice was barely a whisper and if Natsu wasn’t a dragonslayer, he doubted he would have been able to hear him, “I didn’t think I’d ever see them again. It brought back things that I thought I’d never remember…”

“Is that good or bad?” Natsu shifted closer, knee pressing against Gray’s thigh.

“I don’t know.” Gray looked away, but not before Natsu caught the look of shame twisting his beautiful features.

“Hey…” Natsu reached out and gently cupped Gray’s face, tilting his head up to meet Natsu’s eyes. “I...you don’t need to tell me everything. Not now. I’m sorry I forced this on you and didn’t…” Natsu sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice how you were hurting.”

Gray said nothing, only leaned into Natsu’s touch, midnight blue eyes fluttering closed. He pressed his face into Natsu’s chest, hands gripping the fabric of his vest tightly. Natsu exhaled shakily, slipping his arms around Gray’s waist and shifting until the ice mage was securely tucked into his embrace.

It was better this way. Neither of them had ever been very good with words. They preferred their fists. It was so easy for them to communicate in a language of violence. Blazing punches and frosty blasts of magic were the perfect ways to say “I love you” without actually saying it. The meaning was always clear. Maybe not to others, but to them, there was no better way to pledge themselves to each other.

But sometimes they had to use their words. Sometimes fierce, lightning-fast exchanges of blows weren’t enough to say what needed to be said. They weren’t there yet, but Natsu was confident that they would be someday. And for now, the dragonslayer was content with this. With having Gray in his arms as the moon traced silver lines across his perfect face and the flower enveloped them both with its fragrance.

And when Gray’s breathing evened out, Natsu dared to place soft, lingering kisses against his face. On his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his cheeks, until every inch of ivory skin had felt the warm press of Natsu’s lips. Natsu placed one last kiss to Gray’s lips before burying his face in his silky raven hair and mumbling the one thing he hoped to tell Gray when he was awake some day.

“I love you, Droopy Eyes…”

✦ ✦ ✦

“I’m going to kill them.”

“Erza…”

“Of all the things--why can’t they behave at least once--”

“Erza.”

“Oh, what will Master have to say about this?”

_“Erza.”_

Mira rolled her eyes as Erza continued to pace, fingers fiddling with the hilt of her sword as she occasionally cast glares over her shoulder at Gray and Natsu.

Mira followed Erza’s gaze, smiling softly at the two boys wrapped in each other’s arms. It looked like Gray had fallen asleep, his head tucked under Natsu’s chin as the fire mage pressed tender kisses all over his boyfriend’s face, lips moving, but no matter how much Mira focused, she couldn’t hear what Natsu was saying. But it was probably better that way, this was Natsu and Gray’s moment, it would be terrible of her to intrude.

And besides, she could rip out all the details from one of them later anyway.

Mira shook her head in exasperation as Erza groaned behind her. “Honestly, Erza, it’s not that bad.”

Erza whirled on her, one eye twitching violently. “Not that bad? _Not that bad!_ They froze almost all of the garden, blew up a huge boulder and trampled nearly half of the flowers, and you’re saying it’s _not that bad?!”_

Mira simply smiled, “Could have been worse. They could have trampled _all_ of the flowers.”

Erza crossed her arms over her chest, obviously not amused at her girlfriend’s lightheartedness.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Mira soothed, pulling Erza closer and running her fingers through her pretty red hair, “I’m sure the fine won’t be that high, and besides, just look at them. They’re happy.”

Erza frowned, looking over Mira’s shoulder to see Natsu’s face buried in Gray’s hair, fingers interlocked with the ice mage’s. Mira smiled as, despite all of her scoldings and reprimands, the requip mage’s chocolate brown eyes rounded with love and affection. And when she turned the raw power of that love on Mira, it took the white-haired girl’s breath away.

Erza sighed, dropping her head to rest on Mira’s shoulder.

“We are _so_ getting kicked out...”


End file.
